Episode 4 - Pig Insemination - Artificial insemination on pastured hogs

In this episode, we take a comprehensive look at how we accomplish artificial insemination for our hogs on the farm. Details discussed and illustrated are:
How to look for the signs of heat in hogs
Finding a good semen provider
Equipment needed
When to inseminate
Details of the process
Issues to be aware of
We document the process via video footage we have captured over the past 2 years as we maintain our herd of hogs on our farm. Find out more about our farm by visiting redtoolhouse.com

[@baskaschmidt7340]

I have been researching a ton on the topic and wanted to say thank you for all the helpful tips and information. This is my first time and your explanation was easy to understand. Thanks for sharing.

[@Chris_Richard]

Were you successful?

[@rickymorgan2758]

Thank you for the information on hog insemination. Because of you, I no longer keep boars and have had success with Shipley swine (100%) all the way down here in south Texas

[@RedToolHouse]

Awesome! Getting ready to breed this weekend too!

[@branrufarm]

Wow! Goats are WAY more complicated! This gives me the hope of pigs on our farm in the future :)

[@emi123nem]

Lmao 😂 learned waaay too much about this topic than I needed to know

[@oldhighwayhomestead378]

Thank you! Great video!

[@RedToolHouse]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@hirwamatene7334]

Thank you for your educative videos.

[@RedToolHouse]

Hirwa Matene glad you enjoyed it.

[@johnwood738]

Great explanation thinking of trying this for some gilts of mine!

[@dud3man6969]

Spreadsheets can add/subtract dates. I use Excel to calculate everything that has anything to do with breeding, weaning etc.

[@RedToolHouse]

Yes, google sheets in an invaluable tool here as well.

[@modee-b9s]

Excellent video - Thanks!

[@juliannesloan5746]

covered some useful information but did not cover how many doses you give during one cycle and how far apart you give them. Interested in learning more on that topic. thank you

[@deannajones8133]

thank you very informative information, I learn alot from your youtube, please continue.

[@RedToolHouse]

Deanna Jones thanks. We are trying to do a new video every friday

[@robbie46]

Thanks for the information.

[@blackrockfarms1405]

Very technical video. Thank you!

[@GRIMRPR6942]

Hello! Love the informative vids. One thing i didnt see you mention was why chose AI over just buying piglets already weened as you mentioned in your "getting started" video? You mentioned they can be really cheap to buy, and in theory, you could buy them when you wanted to have "hooves on the ground" and make your schedule more accurate. Is there a big cost savings/expenditure difference with each way?

[@RedToolHouse]

Rob, I really like having control over my genetics, now that I am over three generations in, I like the confirmation I am getting from my selective breeding. Also, AI allows me to make the farm a closed loop. I am totally eliminating the opportunity to introduce sickness and disease to my herd from bringing new pigs on the farm. Thanks for watching!

[@akinsDADA]

Thanks

[@ScottCooper]

Very informative, thank you!

[@dmacosta1]

thank you for posting

[@tamathamavraides5532]

That was riveting. Is the process the same for cows?

[@RedToolHouse]

It is my understanding that AI for cattle is more complicated and involves cryo-freezing the semen, etc. I don't know enough about it to make any more comment then that. That is why I like pork....

[@tealkerberus748]

That's how it was with the cow I grew up with - a technician with a bucket of liquid nitrogen in the back of his ute, and assorted tubes for the different breeds. But the easy way to tell when a cow is in heat is traditionally when other cows will mount her, so it's tricky to tell with only one cow - mine has been making the hills ring for the last several days, so calling is not accurate enough. In past years we've hired a bull, but the stud we hired him from just got sold out of the district, so I'm looking at buying a bull. For one cow. But if I get one that is young and unproven and sell him when his first daughter is needing a bull, I should get a better price selling than what I pay buying.

[@ritzeljoentax5370]

Hallo..i'm from indonesia..i would to thank about this footage..the most big question..can you tell me about the ingridients and proportion of Hogs feed..thanks

[@armymobilityofficer9099]

Most pig feed in the U.S. is made by feed manufacturers. Most of it is grain based. You need to make sure that the amount of protein and the amount of feed you are giving the animal matches the intended purpose.

[@tealkerberus748]

How does a boar wind his way in to that threaded cervix? I didn't think they were that gymnastically inclined - how does a grown pig do cartwheels?

[@thepigguy5582]

buy a pig you be surprised what they can do :)

[@richnusser6079]

@@thepigguy5582, a boar is threaded just like the AI tube. It’s called corkscrew.

[@tommyharrison9945]

Where can I get 🐗 spay. To help bring my pigs in heat

[@RedToolHouse]

Any AI supplier. I get mine from Shipleys Swine Genetics in OH

[@samuelafolabi6433]

how do I get the insemination tools

[@RedToolHouse]

Stephen. sottie Afolabi usually your semen provider offers them. The company I use sells a package (5 or 6 rods) for $4. That is really the only thing you need. If you need lubrication, just get any human personal lubricant.

[@superma74]

how old should a sow be before breeding?

[@RedToolHouse]

superma74 I go at least a year because I only breed in the fall but I have heard people breed as early as 6 months. That seems to young to me.

[@grassfeeding6073]

Development, size, weight and age are all factors. I've bred a lot of gilts at 6 months in pastured systems, but I used about 200lbs as a good benchmark. Early breeding helps keep females in appropriate body condition for farrowing and is pretty standard. Feeding a gilt for a year and then breeding is a high level of investment, not all gilts will produce satisfactory litters. At 16 months of age (farrowing age when bred at one year old) the sow can have a lot of fat and is much bigger than a market hog, at least with heritage breeds. If bred at 6 months and then culled after weaning a poor litter(probably 10-11 months), the sow will not be as big and the cut size/fat cover/processing costs are lower. With that being said, I've bred sows at one year old as well. Just gotta do whatever works for you. Very good video.

[@RedToolHouse]

Great info. I only shoot for a spring farrowing since I don't have a large farrowing building. How old do you breed your sows before you cull them?

[@grassfeeding6073]

In my experience It's worth keeping a sow until she doesn't give you good litters anymore. Usually weaning less than 8 piglets is a good benchmark for culling a sow. Sometimes a first time gilt will have slightly smaller litters (weaning 6 as a first time gilt is OK for me).....if shes a good mother it's worth breeding her back. If She can't wean 8 in a second litter then it's time to go. However, that is when breeding and farrowing twice a year. If you're once a year just keep an eye on body condition, overweight sows don't release as many eggs per ovulation. I can't remember the exact reason why. Sows that are veterans of your system can teach female offspring the ropes and will give you good, predictable replacement females. They also teach younger females to trust you. In a once a year system, as long as the sows aren't getting too heavy, they could last a long time.

[@RedToolHouse]

grassfeeding thanks for the advice. I have one sow that is 5 years old. She had one ween her last litter. She will be retired. I have another that is 3 years and she gives me around 13 weened on average.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

Can't find the info for supplier

[@nnamdijohnpaulihechu1395]

nice

[@DustinUhrig]

Yep and it cost about $500 to feed him

[@leavetrumphater3205]

Jess Station... Like a Train Station, cept Jess Owns that one. So more specifically "Jess' Station" for Ownership... so I guess that's a little bump in that ss'S there and you can hear it if you say it with ownership. ;-)

[@CohnmanTheBudbarian]

thanks for the vid, very informative. i would have laughed my ass off if id seen your wife with all that lube lol, question, why do you choose AI over keeping a breeding boar?

[@RedToolHouse]

netslave we chose to AI simply because we saw how easy it was and we could purchase semen at a reasonable price. Plus we didn't want to have the issues with the boar trying to get access to the sows every time they went into heat. Thanks for watching!

[@CohnmanTheBudbarian]

would you ever consider getting one, if say you found a good bred, or is it really not worth getting one? oh yeah #fastestyoutuberesponseever lol, thanks

[@RedToolHouse]

netslave probably not. I have ordered semen from over 7 different boars to get the confirmation I want in my piglets. It's like shopping at the grocery store. Responses come quicker after dark!

[@nathanielnelson3997]

If only it was this easy with my wife

[@pancekas]

How nd where can i buy semen nd the supplies to do it 🤔

[@user-qn5mc6vp5d]

There is no way I would sit on my pig

[@georgewashington938]

sounds a lot like the process is with humans

[@RedToolHouse]

John P maybe. I do humans the old fashion way!

[@samuelafolabi6433]

I have about 6 sows how do I make them come on heat at the same time and if am to use drugs which will u recommend for me

[@RedToolHouse]

Stephen. sottie Afolabi I don't recommend using any drugs to alter heat cycle. The heat cycle is every 21 days and the semen has a 10 shelf life. If they have been together long, you should notice their heat cycles will start to line up together. Personally, I wouldn't want 6 sows farrowing at the same time. Mine are usually several days apart. That allows me to tend to each one.

[@samuelafolabi6433]

Red Tool House - Homestead thanks

[@thomasmacias6816]

A few questions sir will the sows start to go in heat around same time if grouped together cause I've seen other videos of farms breeding over 150 per week or do they just have so many that they count the 21 days too?Also the Catheters do they screw in clock wise or counter clock wise and are they one time use? So if your a breeder would it be beneficial to breed year round and if I was to keep some boars on hand what is the ratio from boar to sow? 10-15 sows per boar? So don't change their diet when they go into pregnancy to reduce fat?

[@joshblick]

So a pig is reverse threaded? lol

[@RedToolHouse]

Yes, unless it is an English breed...

[@joshblick]

Rofl

[@Chris_Richard]

Wettest pigs this side of the Mississippi!

[@xelyamusicvideo]

“As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” ― Pythagoras

[@armymobilityofficer9099]

"Everything tastes better with bacon." - Pythagoras

[@osariemenlutaotabor6015]

Thanks for the educative vid.